TT Reversal
by dlsky
Summary: Taken from series episode ‘How long is forever’ a story which continues after Starfire left that warped future behind; aliens attack, Nightwing must face Slade again, and the outcome is anything which you might guess.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't claim creation or ownership. Let DC comics have it all.

Story Title: Teen Titan's Reversal

Chapter 1 Title: I used to be

He'd asked them not to disturb him, that he was going in and wished some alone time; presumably he had something he wanted to record, quite helped him to stay on track for what it was he wished to say, and how could any of them blame him, after everything he (they) had seen.

Things were pretty quiet now that it was all over, life at least for some; his subordinates was rather returning to normalcy, for his second in command it was all just returning.

For HIM, though he wondered; especially his second in command wondered if he would ever be the same again, ever able to be some form of normal.

Terrible things left scars that at times might not be able to wash away. It wasn't just the commanders displacement issue anymore that concerned them, it was; and to those who knew, those who understood what had been done to him, what sacrifice had been handed off to him, it was a wonder their leader made any since to them at all.

He was a strong soul, with the will of iron most men didn't compare to, but a man could only suffer and endure so much….

That was why none of them pushed the issue as hours turned into days, as time lead them to wonder 'when?' and when some of them drew straws 'who would knock?'

Each trying to get him to eat and he told them to just go away,

Some trying to get him to come out; to command the clean-up, he told them to report, then gave them commands for answer,

And when Roy tried to get him to speak about it: 'I think you need to get over this'

How he would just narrow those cold dark blue eyes and everyone; including the sub-commander, knew….forced to back away, they each knew that it was finally over.

Eventually he would cease to be their leader….

Yet no one could muster the courage to shout at him, no one could order him to eat; and when finally on the last day, all things quiet; the door locked from the inside; the room empty, and not one of them had held a key to open it…..it was with little regret that Roy Harper finally ordered the door broken down and his body brought out.

-----------------

Even less, because they all knew he wouldn't be found……no body was there to be brought forth.

The mysterious stranger who had come into the fabric of early warfare had left them just the same as he had appeared a figure whose past did not exist and who future was outside the realm of their reality.

The room was small, large by comparison with the rest of there facility, housing the compounds communications equipment; computer system and audio feed relays, parts and pieces, supplies but without the knowledge of repair, and video equipment; but it was still a small room.

It was all they had; a means, a way for them to preserving alive records and events. Of who they were, why they lived he way they did now. Why?

Of things of personal value which once upon a time might have meant something….. not in bound volumes or books with ink and pen, but in reflection of voice tone and the pain through the eyes of those telling their stories.

Paper was a luxury, money a fuel source, anyone could afford it but to put it simply a lot of anything and everything could not be afforded anymore. The planet would take a long time before producing anything of value which wasn't salvageable or already produced; in scattered piles, and broken bottles, or in pieces.

They didn't even have enough food anymore to eat three square meals a day; woman and children weren't singled out for special accommodations' either, if you had survived then you were just a minority living as part of the majority. They were all that was once grand, big, or small…..and he was no different then they, except he was the savior, the martyr, and they would less likely survive him then he they.

---------------

The door jam gave within three shoves. Two men holding tools forced the door in upon itself; dust swirled and resettled, everything mixing into an eerie sound stage, an on repeat loop movie. A monster scene straight out of poltergeist, except the host was the television monitors flashing and flickering. Static white noise with the room deserted and the voice having just finished….

'How'd he get out?'

That would have been the question had Roy not already known; well he suspected how their leader had chose to abandon them, he could not bring himself to resent that decision. Not even when the decision now left the weight of command upon his own shoulders.

'Leaves a world both dead and possibly dying for me to attempt to salvage'

'Living free' mused their not second in command anymore, but new leader 'sorry bastard'

A'ran didn't want to think about that right now, what he wanted to try and understand what he'd been doing all this time in here, because if he'd finally choose to leave them, if it had only just been since Roy had last spoken to him; and that had just been over little under three hours ago,

"Try and Find some way of reconnecting the door" the order was for the two men who had just spent forty minuets trying to break it down.

'At least it gives them something to do' for the rest of the men he politely just asked them all to leave.

'But where do you think he went?' one of them asked, another answered 'He's gone stupid, get over it. He left, abandoned us and why not, wouldn't you if you could have?'

'No' shook the first in disbelief, 'I thought he had decided to try and make this his new home.'

Bitter the men left that left two men to pause in the doorway. This caught Roy's eye 'He came here, and he promised to stay till what had to be done was done. We should have never forced him into making that type of promise to begin with.'

'You believe the old guy was wrong then?' asked Russell.

Roy did not respond instead reaching out towards one of the monitor screens his hand stopping right above the blinking PLAY light; he slowly turned, hitting the play button, the file reset itself.

"I think that desperate times some time call for desperate solutions" the man turned back and walk away believing Roy wasn't going to acknowledge him anymore.

"That doesn't mean it makes it right or wrong either way, what it means is that a choice had to be made….and for better or worse, that choice has already took place."

Russell gave acknowledgement and continued out, leaving Roy; A'ran Harper, alone. A blue screen replaced static and turned from blue to shadowy black, and then a voice spoke. It was a voice that held you in command it was voice both desperate and conceding. Someone pushing you to know; to hear and to understand how it took place just right here, a setting a feel completely different from there was now.

This was a man that made up the lonely dark; the feeling that cold would feel warm, the air in the room beyond him Roy stood and waited, 'the last words of a tortured soul,' standing there now by comparison it felt light and warm to A'ran Harper.

"My name used to mean something once" Nightwing spoke, Dick Grayson's voice held a hiss to it now, almost loathing. Something in his cold hard eyes spoke of suffering, of about pain, but it spoke of revenge a thirst for more,

That's why A'ran feared for him; not him the man, but for the man.

Why Roy hadn't been as shocked or as hurt to know (see him gone) like the rest were, because Slade had said he wasn't meant to settle down, their commander had told him this was a figure trained to stand alone…. 'Men like us don't just give up our trained ways.'

It was like trying to ask a hired killer; become a tumbling actor, a trained professional to sit and watch a puppet show. They just don't fit.

Purity had been lost in Nightwing's eyes; to the sight, a killer and a trained mercenary sit and spoke now. "The Appreciate"

A reminder that his past no longer welcomed to him,

He knew. Just because of the way they saw him, how he saw things…that in this world they were just too different.

"We're better off without him." Softly spoke Roy directed towards the empty corner, all the time refusing to look anywhere but at the screen. He heard Russell's footfalls leaving him as there was nothing more the two of them had to say to one another. Both knew, both understood and only one of them would ever speak this man's name again.

Roy sat down in the seat left by the trained technician who'd struggled to remained alive just long enough to show them how all the equipment worked.

Pushing buttons, Roy finally managed to create a disk; the only copy, deleting every last trace which someone might find recorded. He took the disk and placed it in his coat pocket, allowing the recording to continue and play, as the deletion filter whipped away each new sentence, soft screen patter, second by second, by the time it reached the end there was no trace; no memory left of him, 'And that was for the best'

Because Roy knew, the way he saw it; perhaps only he could fear and know, being the one to know, to understand what the two had done. What both men had secretly spoken of, what both of them argued about; was there that day when one of them had given in, that he could stop and still, unable to retain, to live so long as the memory of that one still existed.

Secretly that was the understood reason Roy knew; why Dick left, he couldn't face reminders. Of the old man, of himself "I can only hope that you someday find peace my friend" Roy looked deeply disturbed, wondering what might happen if Dick couldn't reconcile himself….

'Who might you become' shivering and looking around into the shadows, rushed to leave before the monitor room which was haunted by his ghost,

Leaving not one but two ghosts behind, leaving the two men still working to finish re attaching the broken door; one of the men smiled as was passed by, but his eyes caught the screen behind, the monitor Nightwing had recorded his testimony upon which was now slowly erasing, he watched despite how the sound was turned way down, Roy clearly hearing Dick's haunted voice.

It and with peeked with draw, he stood there despite himself and watched:

"I used to be called his Apprentice"

"Even before taking on such as my title, there was such a long history between us, surrounding who I once was. What the background was in regards to my other title not many knew. But he did, how he found out I never knew. Robin was some one special. Not me, but to all those who knew me when I was younger they believed I'd go far.

(To him though) They say it was because of Batman that a whole generation rose as new heroes….we took there places."

In his stance there was positive picture, a since of freedom; blue meant the color of flight, of freedom to fly across the sky. "It wasn't just the colors I wore that made me; him, Robin strong."

He was defined as well. His upper body strength was something only the strong willed and dedicated of mind could achieve. Something derived and willed by a determination to break limits. He broke one too many.

Contrary to the face; which held deep set eyes, solemn and angry, yet gentle and kind, nothing matched what was seen. It was all lies built overtop truths, fashioned by a man whom he hated and couldn't actually blame…the two influences' of the terrorist in his life.

"I'm going to tell you a tale" whispered the voice.

"A story of how it all came to be, and I'm going to bet that by the time I am through you will no longer see me as what you believed me to be."

"I'm a monster" his own self evident reflection speaking hindsight as well as insight, "not because I couldn't save them, or even because I failed and tried again; succeeding this time around, or even because of how I killed them, but because he made me into who I turned out to be."

"I'm a monster and there is no turning back now."

"Even if there was, you think I'd want to turn back; turn back the clock, take everything back?"

"I should say yes, that I'd take everything backwards in time within a heart beats choosing."

"But I can't. I don't want to….and because of this; this is why I say I'm a monster. Because only a monster knows the difference between wrong and right and still chooses to act willingly."

"I'm a monster because I like it. I don't want to step back, don't want to revert back and I won't! I won't give him back. I intend to keep right on destroying things. I'm going to make things, change things, and I'm going to do things HIS way from now on."

"I see all so clearly now."

"Realize now, where he had been correct all along."

"I admit I was wrong."

"Had been wrong before and because I was everyone all around me suffered. But I can make sure that never happens again. I can make charges, find situations, and I will change things."

"So I'm going back, going back to where I can make the most (good) difference. Going to go and take things…..how he showed me the way, he showed me it could all be accomplished, be altered, I'm going to see that I never say 'no' ever again."

Dick Grayson lifted up masked eyes; hidden by the soul which was now shadowed by mist and fog around his own heart, and he placed the actual metal half orange/ half black one overtop of the camera lens.

Split metal; single eye, orange and black covered now his sad dark features, only one eye gave any indication as to whether he was. The champion was no loner an innocent or naively optimistic enthusiast. He was a power driven, self realized force to reap justice.

Anything but a machine now,

That eye, his single vision suggested of death, of depth, and driven by mission. No mercy only ever true death followed mercy. Pain, pain was all he ever knew and it was about time he share his pain and set free that child's true soul…he was going to kill someone…If not himself then who better?

Shuddering; the man turned away. He didn't want to know who, didn't want to know anything anymore. He'd watched enough, turning away he didn't listen anymore, focusing instead upon the task newly designated and for which his companion was already completed alone without him: 'Here let me help you with that'

And so he missed the last words:

"I'm no longer either Hero or a Villain. What I am is a man that is going to change the way things ought to be. I'm going to change how it was to what should have been; and there is no one anymore, not anyone who can be, even my self, who will stop me."

"I am beyond time itself"

Finale's pause and the tap recording erased the magnificent flash of light ending the camera monitor; once more fizzled with static and whit noise, screens filled with popping flashes of light where the image and recorded scene one was, but was no longer.

It was done. His legacy never recorded, Slade's family would never know, and only Roy understood; having the disk within his possession, what it meant HIS last message. A warning to future generations:

'Never meddle with time. For what you get can never be anything pleasant or nice, even to save someone can lead to nothing but more death or destruction. Just let sleeping dogs lie………

TBC

A/N: Depressing? This once used to be a challenge story I wrote. About the reversal of roles, (kind of what the title indicates)

A good Slade vs our favorite boy wonder, Robin.

Dick Grayson who later becomes Nightwing, is taken from the point of view of Starfire's trip into the future and is continued on further past her leaving them.

Where she encounters Nightwing and before leaving is told that nothing is certain; her Robin hadn't even thought of Nightwing yet, for us we continue our journey not with her but with him….and see where things after Starfire left went all wrong.

In the next chapter you get to see how things all led up to this opening theme. I grantee it has a lot more to do with my other Teen Titan's fiction series 'Satire', then anyone reading can now foresee.

How you understand where (everything is connected) how it all started because of "It happened here baby" will reveal itself to you.

Read and review please, thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclamer:

Story Title: Teen Titan's Reversal

Chapter 2 Title: I was a Hero

"It all started shortly after this guy "Worp" and our beloved Starfire came back to us."

-You will repair the damage you have done to my past.

-Damage? Silly girl, there's nothing wrong with your past. One can not damage history, because history can not be changed.

-I went back in time to steal this because history said this disappeared, and history says it disappeared because I went back to steal it. Past, Present, Future it's all written in stone my dear.

-And nothing you do can ever change it.

I wasn't convinced. We'd all had a long time to think around that postulation and I for one was going to see that things turned out differently. 'Damn I missed him'

-It's good to see you again.

-Robin! Starfire's shocked face was even something I saw and smiled because of. She was just the same as I remembered. Like time hadn't changed, but I hit had…

-I haven't used that name in a long time. Call me Nightwing.

We returned back to my place, a combination of Slade's old hideout and the setting around the old Batcave. From here I monitored the city and it had been from here that I had seen her wondering the city in search of aid.

-I heard you've been looking for help.

Tired she seemed so down.

-There is nothing you can do, there is nothing anyone can do, the past can not be repaired, the future can not be altered, no matter how wrong it seems.

Her voice was like wrapping me in a beautiful dream and I wanted her to remember all the amazing times together; just as those thoughts had kept me strong on days when the loneliness had been too hard to bare,

-So, it's impossible.

-Good. If memory serves, we've done the impossible before.

-I held onto this just in case.

Amazing what a simple object can initiate in emotion.

With a single click, familiar tune; blinked both in my hand and on her uniform, I knew those of the others it would do as well.

-Tick Tock, Tick Tock, just a few more seconds and I shall finally..Ah!

-The future will have to wait. You just ran out of time.

Nightwing did not hold back, his ferocity was constant streams of motion; never allow an opponent an opening, both Slade and Batman had taught him that. He beat Worp down, Starfire landing beside him as they advanced together upon him. All appearances suggestive he was a beaten man, but Worp still had one laser; its bolt knocking Starfire down, with malicious smirking he buried her under a pile of ceiling rubble.

-Star

Nightwing crying out before getting to her -Ah! Getting hit him self; a single chance kept Warp from winning thought.

-Boo yah

Raised from the rubble by the hand of Nightwing, joyous Starfire flew to him –Cyborg you are repaired!

-Glad you could make it.

I was just as glad to know the team responded as Starfire was in knowing her friend could now leave the tower.

-Wouldn't have missed it, now who said you could start without me.

Interrupted by Warps voice:

-So sorry perhaps I should finish you fast.

-AH!

Beast Boy's Tiger form sweeping in and joining us.

Anger ablaze, Worp was prepared to wipe out with a concealed weapon in his arm's armor.

-Uu Ah!

Raven's black aura knocking him into machine equipment on the opposite side of the room, just as she appeared out of nothing, a whirlwind speaking; its voice tone cold, telling that:

-No body hurts, my, friends.

-It seems my time has come. (Purposed Worp)

He would rather leave then fight them all for something which had already escaped his grasp. Really his purpose had already been served, whether the clock arrived back with him or not, history would record just what he'd had told the silly little girl.

But I wasn't going to let him escape this time around. Damaging the time regulator, Warps body began aging rapidly younger. An infant as Beast Boy declared 'Ok I am not changing any diapers' but urgency was redirected as the portal began shrinking, it would close and Starfire would be trapped.

Not if her friends had anything to say about it.

-We got to get you home come on.

-Please must this really be our future?

-Is there nothing I can do to change it?

Pleading as she looked at Nightwing for the answer.

Advancing toward her; long hair blowing in the portals energy flux, I told her with certainty:

-I'm sorry Star there isn't time. (But he reached out and cupped her hand, placing the clock into it. Smiling as he knew that just the clock was answer enough, she seemed to realize this too for her face looked less defeated and hopeful as she regarded them all) passing through the portal and out of our lives this time for good.

-//-

Face soft, almost nostalgic. "Seeing her again" had pained him terribly, even though he'd known it was the thing to do, send her back his heart had wanted her to stay.

"But it wasn't our Starfire. It was another times' another dimensions' Starfire. It didn't matter. She helped to bring the Titans together again. Good thing! Because shortly after that, that's when the enemy struck."

"They arrived not at dawn's early rise but just hours after Starfire exited into the time vortex with the clock I'd handed her. _"Change your own fate!" _I truly believed those words once!

The enemy arrived just before sundown 'Cleaver plan' arriving in the dark and positioning themselves over the major cities, spread terror, panic and chaos, and then when no one can see very clearly, or think very logical "Attack."

They conquered us city by city, one by one the Justice League with its many powerful members fell, and even Batman; who tried hard he fell too. It was all over we were all doomed! That's when Cyborg gave his life for one last chance at stopping the enemy.

While Raven; lost to us anyway, succumb to her emotions of hopeless ness despair and anger, she and Beast Boy held off the enemy while Cyborg calibrated Worp's time travel device to send me into another dimension.

Perhaps help could be found. Or at least we thought I might be able to prevent this from ever happening.

The last thing my eyes saw was Cyborg's body falling with a powerful crash. Ravens' body being eaten alive by Trigon's energy and BB; eyes pleading, I wanted to reach out and help them but the energy of the portal was engulfing me. Then something struck me hard and that's when I passed out…

-//-

"The last things I remember before something hit me and I woke up here….."

My splitting headache was still hurting me; somebody handed me a glass of water and two pills, I didn't question what they might be just downing them as I sat the glass aside and continued telling the story.

"Realization what or rather who had knocked into me, it was of those aliens, it had followed me through the portal and in my distracted hast I had failed to keep an eye out for any coming towards me or the portal."

"Some HERO I was, I'd already failed my planet, my home, and now" Nightwing looking up, character solemn and guilty by sad "I have now doomed this one as well."

'_This really was not my line of work anymore'_

_Flashback_

He took out his bow staff; the same one he'd just went agro with against Worp hours earlier, hearing the familiar click before twirling it for balance. It felt reassuring, it felt balanced. Attacking the towering creature with everything he knew and subconsciously his body knew how to do.

The creature was disoriented so Nightwing had this one advantage to defeat it. As he brought his bow staff down upon its head; if you could call that part its head, the creature didn't seem to have distinguishable body parts, but is bodies' armor was some tough stuff.

Nightwings' staff shattered into pieces, a scrap of metal cutting the palm of his hand and the smell or sight of human blood stirred the creature into full body awakening. Rising up, the alien creature sent a shockwave of heat vibrating out into the surrounding; it hit Nightwing like a ninety-degree gust of wind. Arms automatically coming to protect face and eye, he didn't see as one of the creatures' tentacles lashed out. It knocked him flying, at the same time another caught him mid air by his ankle. The creature jerked back, drawing the body in and even struggling Nightwing was no match for how tight a hold the creature had on him.

He could feel as his ankle was snapped in half; trained to endure pain, Slade had done a lot worse to him in his past, Nightwing was able to suppress the pain, pushing through it and with a soft moan all that escaped him, continued struggling.

Creature extending other parts of its body out now; it seemed to be expanding, transforming and altering its size as well as shape. Tentacles' performing different tasks, some seemed to be checking about for its surroundings while other's indiscriminately lashed out at various things. Almost as if it were not sure whether something like a mail box or lamp post might be its enemy, a couple more tentacles' picked up on the fact there were other human beings around and began reaching out towards them.

"No don't" cried out Nightwing noticing the people in danger, his cries as well as the fact that it was plain this creature was not friendly, helped them to avoid being drawn in. Only one person did not escape but that was because he got too confined between a tentacle which was destroying several signs and lamp posts and the one which was in pursuit of him. In the end the citizen's body was a bloody mess.

That's when Nightwing discovered how the creatures consumed raw flesh, hanging upside down he had to watch as strange sponge like suction strands jetted off of one tactical and mopped up all the blood, another branch of tentacle moved down and injected into the human flesh some raw material, as the flesh began breaking down the cellular material, vacuum began sucking it up. The creature's ability to shift tasks while still avoiding almost a complete three hundred and sixty degree radius of its surroundings, made Nightwing realize just how deadly as well as devastating it was going to be trying to take one of these things down.

He knew before leaving his world that not anyone had had a chance to study or defend themselves against the Aliens. Not only had their attack been sudden, but communications had been already taken out before anyone had been able to call for help, so to his knowledge no one had been able to tell anyone else if there was a way; method or means of getting past defense, another jolt brought violent shockwaves through Nightwing's body.

As he hung upside down in front of the alien, finally the pain became too much, he cried out and could have sworn the creature knew, or at least understood it had done something to invoke such response.

His scream must have altered someone else to the trouble happening as well because under the throbbing headache, the beating of his own heart in his ear; which sounded like a steady trashcan kicking, he heard voices. Voices yelling; slowly rising as the distance lessened, and the sound of sirens rose too.

They were low sounding 'was that a high pitch humming' Nightwing asked him self, it could have been all the blood now rushing to his head. Ejecting out of his gauntlets a handful of sonic wing-dings he threw them, same time impacting as one of the militaries missile did. Both impacts sent dust and debris up into the air but they did little to effect the creature, except now it was aware of their presence and they seemed to have upset it a bit more.

The military missel covered for the throw Nightwing had done so the creature left him alone. Why it hadn't already injected into him the same compound it had the dead humans flesh Nightwing wondered but wasn't questioning providence.

He was blacking out, but could still see enough; feel the alien's stress patterns, the way it's hold on him let him know that it's other tentacles' were changing positions. Some of them were moving to engage the vehicles the military had pulled up in. It obviously thought that because it was so big; it's size and shape proportional to the realities of it's own existence, then that also too its first response to immediate enemies must also too be those similar in shape and size. Interested Nightwing filed away and noted how the single individual military men; each launching against it, a set of high powered machine rounds and even couple more rockets, revealed the surprise the creature felt at such violent retaliation by such a small figure.

But as the creature experienced, so too did it adapt; it was learning and at a sentient level of advanced strategic adaptation, Nightwing didn't get to continue taking notes he was being poked and prodded by tentacles now which had some sort of other appendages, for a second he thought they might be the creatures eyes but then with an moment of shear panic and pain something embedded itself into the lower part of his neck. For a second he thought this was it, the creature was going to liquefy him and begin sucking out his insides, and then nothing felt; no pain anymore he couldn't even feel his ankle which had been bothering him tremendously, his headache was gone and all he sort of felt was a cool sensation of calm, a reassurance, relief.

It wasn't the numb of blood loss or the shut down of the body's nervous system, he couldn't describe it but he knew how those other experiences felt _'I'd like to thank Slade for a great deal for my training and experience please'_

And then he momentarily blacked out.

-----------------------

When he woke up there seemed to be strange warmth to his face; a nice warm gloved hand, was slapping him awake. "Get up"

"Come on we haven't got all day"

Nightwing jerked awake and instantly sat up, regretting it as his leg spammed all the way starting at his ankle and running the length of his muscle calf. The gloved hand came with a harsh yet rhythmic monotone voice "We have to get you out of here, that creature is unstoppable."

Nightwing tried to look up see the face which was talking to him but his vision was blurry. 'Was it raining?'

A hand yanked him forward and suddenly Dick found himself running 'this is not going to be good for my leg' not to mention his ankle which kept tripping him up. His rescuer seemed to realize then that it was damaged or broken because he got a firmer grip on his hip and helped to carry him alone. Behind them Nightwing could hear the brushes with objects impacting against Alien arms. Everyone could feel the tremble as the ground shook.

They were fleeing for their safety but Nightwing's hero complex just couldn't let him go. It wasn't like him to run, that was something Slade used to punish him for, something Bruce would have never encouraged him for; and it was not like him, Nightwing surprised his companion by agilely whipping around and going back.

'Was he out of his mind?' thought the man who had rescued him.

Nightwing's body came to a halt. Shaking his head and clearing his hair out of his vision; as well as the black spots which had formed, his hair parted from his face as it had grown to do and just as light and just as graceful two Escrima sticks spring up life in hands which skilled and deadly began attacking those tentical like arms the alien creature had.

The man, who had raced after Nightwing, paused and watched those sticks made impact like they were actually hurting the creature. 'Must be made out of something really strong' even the armies' bullets were bouncing right off. Nightwing wasn't actually attacking the creature, what he was doing as testing his opponent for weaknesses. Like Slade used to hold back, Dick had learned a thing or two about giving away everything the enemy could know about your hand. Just as any good fighter first allows small testing punches, even a few strikes to get through, Nightwing was trying all limits. Getting a feel for the way the creature thought, way it sensed movement and way its organs coordinated attacks; while at the same time didn't quite know or understand what all those many humans were each doing, giving Nightwing the impression an understanding that this creature held hive like mentality to it. Not only did it first believe itself equal in size to its enemies but also too it believed them to be organized, that they moved as one.

A hand found its self way to his shoulder "What are you doing, don't be a hero, there's others that can take this creature down. You need medical attention, and we need to discuss what you now about the appearance and that of the monster itself."

Obviously whoever this man was, Nightwing having not bothered to look back yet, he was still sizing up the creature and how it moved. Avoiding a singular attack by one of the creature's long arms _'Yup, defiantly adapting' _it was defiantly learning, it seemed even the arms could work independent of the set or group it was assigned to, one's which had been gathering up the flesh of dead bodies (another clue Nightwing postulated it only ingested those no longer living, but how did it distinguish, how did it know?) they were threatened or forced to, a single tentacles could change and defend the others. So they weren't all just specific to a certain thing or task. The creature was multi talented. Another reason Dick believed it to be of a hive or pack/swarm mentality.

The man's voice was refined, a nature deep and he was the kind of man accustomed to being always right, kind of reminded him of someone. Deciding he'd tested limits enough for now Nightwing shifted positions and turned to address his companion; instant shock and surprise, it was his body which reacted first, the body does not forget the one that threatens it.

Nightwing knew this was not the place to be standing, between one violent and unpredictable alien creature and the other, an equally unpredictable master of deception and lies. Stance taking on a defensive ready tension, the other man seemed to catch on to there was something threatening perceived by his presence.

Nightwing's face winced, he'd been berating himself for being foolish enough to have ignored all other surroundings, almost expectant to hear familiar failure in mock tones, but as he readied himself for fight his ankle reminded him it was desperate for attending.

"Slade"

It wasn't how I normally said it because I was completely taken off guard as I noticed him and my ankle was paining me, but it should have at least produced one of those smug smiles I had grown to interpret in Slade's eye and in his stance. _'The man was never ending' even here, in this new dimension; he of all people, had to be the one to find me' _

It had been years; nearly a decade, since Dick had defeated that mad man; having been his apprentice for several years, Bruce had Dick hadn't ever reconciled and when the Titans had gone their separate ways, Slade had stepped in and offered Robin another deal. One at first which Robin had willingly considered, later on things had turned out to be completely different, and now, after all those time, Dick finding himself right back and facing him all over again, well this time he wasn't about to let him make the first strike.

'_I'm going to defeat him here and now and pay tribute; hero's motto, my redemption to the life left behind' _

The usually sly manor of Slade was replaced with a folding of the arms and an unexpected feel of perplexity. "Yes, my name is Slade, but more importantly, what's yours?"

It wasn't the time for just standing around, being that the creature was now doing things which didn't seem to imply good ends; however Dick couldn't help but remain distracted. His mouth was hanging open, although he seemed to be relaxed, letting a grin escape, it spread up his left side of the face. _Was it possible he didn't recognize him? _

_I know I've changed my costume; altered the Nightwing he would have seen, since last time but still, Slade wasn't the kind of person to forget his obsessions, even when they'd rchange clothing._

He was considering how he was in another dimension; hell his Slade was now dead, he'd been the one to finally kill him, so he understood the difference, he just wasn't expecting his rival not to recognize him.

"Ok, I'll play" smug rebellion in Dicks tone.

"My name's Nightwing but it use to be Robin….is that what you want me to say?"

The expectation was, that Slade preferred to play games; always mind games, so Robin had to change, to adapt to whatever preconceived notions existed whenever he was dealing with, or against Slade.

His tone of voice wasn't as sharp or as witty as he have liked it to be but who cared, it was Slade he was talking to after all, the man would just mock him anyway no matter how well responsive he was; Dick expected Slade to just shrug this one too all off and continue right on telling him how little, or how pathetic his manor of speech was anyway, 'you disappoint me Robin'

Wasn't that always what the man said?

"Nightwing formally known as Robin"

Slade's voice was low and thoughtful. Dick had never head it change to sound like that before, the whole experience, reality shifting suddenly things weren't so ridged and tight, in fact he was beginning to lower his arms, pulling away from that fighting stance to a get set and ready one.

Nightwing's eyes took a pondering glance at the man '_Did Slade really not know him?_

"Slade! Slade!" The urgent voice was high and level but the owner was unmistakable, that voice belonged to Speedy. _"But?" _ They turned together as several figures came running up and settled beside them or like _'was that Jinx and Green Lantern?'_ were working to try and take down the Alien.

Speedy reached Slade and gave him a panting nod "we tried to cover your retreat but that creature is just too strong. It took out the surrounding buildings and almost got Supergirl "but she's alright," he added quickly seeing the tension in Slade's reaction.

Nothing made since, Dick was closing his eyes and trying to mold this reality to something he could take understanding in. When Cyborg had said there might be different realities, that he might step out into a totally different universe he hadn't quite imagined one where he and Slade were not enemies and where the lines built up and drawn would have to be redefined, who was the enemy and who your friend. Nightwing wasn't the right guy for having to do this.

-//-

"What have you learned from the man who appeared with the creature?" They were asking about him yet Dick felt miles outside there conversation. Not even Slade's attention was upon him; that something new, because Dick had always been the cernter of Slade's attention.

"Can it be stopped?" Speedy's voice was long, not reaching him, even though he was staring directly at him. In fact they all were. A mix between superheroes he knew and villains as well, they all seemed to be staring at him, waiting for some sort of answer.

Dick didn't think he could offer them on and for some reason his vision was blurring again, it was like that numb feeling had returned, like zoning out or being possessed of a trouble finding thought.

He finally realized something; that they had ALL never seen him before, there was not a drop of recognition or anyone speaking up his name, trying to get him to answer them. It was like seeing a complete stranger for the very first time. It was exactly like Slade…

And it was bad timing he knew but with his body so numb and his had fuzzy and maybe it was shock, he didn't know, he just couldn't help himself…because suddenly he fell into a fit of laughter that just couldn't stop.

Someone's hand whirled around and grabbed Nightwing's collar, pulling him forward; classic Hero, 'we don't have time for this kind of bull shit'

Their eyes blazing, Dick knew where they were coming from but it was like he'd just lost control over himself. "What's so funny?"

Suddenly his body was his again and with those lightning fast reflexes of his, he seemed to override his laughing fit, it was like a suddenly snap. Within the split second it took for the words to reach Dick's ears he had jerked Argus' hands off myself and had pinned one arm behind the man's back. He recognized Slade's responsive recognition of one of his own moves being used, not by him, that at least letting Nightwing know that not everything he knew or understood about the man had changed or was different.

Argus' body was at the mercy of Nightwing and just looking around at all the others; their body's readying for another battle or second fight, he knew they perceived him the enemy. 'What a strange world I've ventured myself in'

So he let him go. Argus's arm quickly pulled to a position alleviating pressures and where Dick smoothly pushed him away from and away from standing by him. Didn't want anyone suspecting he might take a hostage. Retracting the bow staff he started to bring out; in preparation for fight against/with Slade, which he held onto.

Turning, he to look to Slade: "I'm no bad guy"

His body and attitude was exactly the way Dick remembered it, expected it, and Slade to react but now that he was looking him over more closely; Nightwing could also see, it wasn't the same Slade. This one was, well what was the word? "_Concerned_?" Something his Slade would never have been. Not in a million years….

"Sorry," apologized Dick "I think the stress has finally gotten to me, I apologize" turning to Argus "reaction just made me snap that's all, I'm trained for quick reflexes but I'm ok now, just a little confused there for a minuet."

Looking all around, the group was slowly moving away from the danger zone. "You see, where I'm from you and I are mortal enemies." Indicating Slade and giving him a quick smirk thinking of how the Slade he knew would have responded to him pointing out the obvious with a Master's tolerance.

It was one of Slade's more joy filled moments when he did it to others but pointing out the blatant obvious; now that, would just have annoyed the man. Leading to a quick lessen in pain and 'who do we respect'

Noticing the faces of those around him; and with a small sigh, hand rubbing the back of his head, it was obvious they needed a complete telling, so he stated: "I guess there are some things to explain."

.

.

.

.

TBC


End file.
